Cold Cash 123 Returns to Winner's Circle in Remington Challenge

Oklahoma City track runs four Bank of America Challenge races on Sunday.

May 12, 2013

Cold Cash 123, American Quarter Horse racing’s world champion in 2011 and the Horse of the Meeting at Remington Park in 2012, made a triumphant return at the Oklahoma City track on Sunday. The millionaire overcame a slow start to win the Grade 2, $101,340 Bank of America Remington Championship Challenge. The victory earned him a berth in the $350,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1) on November 9 at Los Alamitos Race Course.

Owned and bred by T Bill Stables Inc. of Clare, Michigan, and trained by Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath, Cold Cash 123 was ridden by Roy Baldillez. The 5-year-old left the gate in slow order as he is prone to less-than-perfect beginnings. However, he usually has the time and the talent to overcome most of his starts and he did today as well, rolling to the front of the 440-yard race at the halfway point. Resilient once to the lead, Cold Cash 123 held on to win by a neck over The Sunday Assassin. BF Farm Boy was another head back in third.

Cold Cash 123 crossed the finish in :21.523 over a fast track as the heavy wagering favorite at 4-5 odds. He paid $3.80 to win, $3.20 to place and $2.40 to show. The Sunday Assassin returned $7.60 to place and $4 to show. BF Farm Boy paid $5.40 to show.

The win was the 13th from 22 career starts for Cold Cash 123, a 5-year-old Michigan-bred by Oak Tree Special from the Takin On The Cash mare Hot Cash 123. He won his third career race at Remington Park, adding to his triumphs in the 2012 Leo Stakes and Remington Park Championship, both Grade 1 events.

Cold Cash 123 picked up $46,620 for his latest win, upping his lifetime money to $1,326,216. His next start is expected to be a defense of his win in the $250,000 Remington Park Championship on June 1.

Stray Cat Wins Three-Way Photo for Distance Challenge Win Making his Remington Park debut Sunday, Stray Cat battled to win by a nose in the Grade 3, $45,270 Red Cell Remington Distance Challenge. The 4-year-old horse prevailed when the photo-finish image proved his nose-bob at the line had him there first over Emperor Valerian and DM Streakin Thru Fire in a great ending to the 870-yard race.

Owned by the Bonsall, California, partnership of Vessels Stallion Farm and entertainer Lyle Lovett, Stray Cat moved inside of his finishing rivals with 200 yards remaining to put himself in position. Emperor Valerian had the advantage up to that point, then dug down to battle back. Running in the middle of the stretch was DM Streakin Thru Fire with a rally. The trio finished just centimeters apart in the margins. Stray Cat crossed the line in :46.124. He now has a berth in the $125,000 Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship (G1).

Trained by Raymond Vargas and ridden by Cody Jensen, Stray Cat was 7-1 in the betting and paid $16.60 to win, $7.20 to place and $4.40 to show. Emperor Valerian returned $8 to place and $4.80 to show. DM Streakin Thru Fire paid $3 to show as the beaten 8-5 wagering favorite.

De Passem Okey, a two-time champion distance horse, was fourth. It was the first race in his 11 career starts around the Remington Park turn where he did not finish in the top-three positions.

Stray Cat is a horse by Storm Cat (TB) from the First Down Dash mare Your First Moon. Bred in California by his owners, Stray Cat won his second career race and his first at the 870-yard distance. The winner’s check of $21,280 moves his total earnings to $42,398.

Shez Jess Toxic Takes Distaff Challenge The $40,860 Merial Remington Distaff Challenge was won in another close photo-finish by Shez Jess Toxic, who exchanged the lead with Southside Of Heaven for the better part of the 400-yard race before winning by a nose in :20.115 seconds.

Owned, trained and bred in California by Dean Frey of Stanton, California, Shez Jess Toxic was ridden by G.R. Carter. The 4-year-old mare won her Remington Park debut and her fifth race overall from 12 attempts. She has only finished out of the money twice in her career. She picked up a berth in the $125,000 Merial Distaff Challenge Championship (G1).

Shez Jess Toxic was 7-2 in the wagering and paid $9.60 to win, $5.20 to place and $6.40 to show. Southside Of Heaven paid $25 to place and $15.40 to show. Shanachee was a half-length behind the top pair for third and paid $13.80 to show.

Cruzin The Wagon was the even-money betting favorite, finishing seventh.

Shez Jess Toxic is by Take Off Jess from the Victory Dash mare Dashing Fly Lady. The first-place check of $18,799 pushes her overall money to $158,634.

Knockout The Fire Wins Zoetis Starter Allowance Challenge Those that compete normally in the claiming ranks of racing had their Challenge race Sunday as well in the $34,650 Zoetis Remington Starter Allowance Challenge. Knockout The Fire won the race by a length, covering 350 yards in :17.494. Her victory earned her a berth in the $75,000 Zoetis Starter Allowance Challenge Championship.

Owned by Wade Helton of Pampa, Texas, and trained by Alfredo Gomez, Knockout The Fire was ridden by Omar Reyes. Bred in Texas by James and Marilyn Helzer, Knockout The Fire is by Walk Thru Fire from the Feature Mr Jess mare Feature Knockout. She earned $15,941 for the starter allowance score to roll her overall money to $28,776.

Brace For Bernal Aims for Second Derby Win of Season The Sunday program also included six trials at 400-yards for the Grade 2, $285,780 Heritage Place Derby. Brace For Bernal, winner of the Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Derby (R) in April, emerged with another decisive trial win and the top qualifying time.

Owned by Noel Lopez-Prieto of Canadian, Texas, and trained by Luis Villafranco, Brace For Bernal won his fifth consecutive race dating to November 2012. Jockey Paul Nieto has been up for all of the streaking wins and piloted the 3-year-old colt to a 1 ¾-length triumph in the final trial of the day.

A Oklahoma-bred son of Furyofthewind from the Shazoom mare Zoom Bracer, Brace For Bernal ran 400 yards in :19.577. Second in the qualifying was Buster 123, a half brother to Cold Cash 123, with a time of :19.654.